\\E-UNIVER. 


.          v 

• 


VOLUME  VI 
The  Drama  League  Series  of  Plays 


HER  HUSBAND'S 
I  WIFE 

A  Comedy  in  Three  Acts 


BY 

A.  E.  THOMAS 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY 

WALTER  PRICHARD  EATON 


GARDEN  CITY  NEW  YORK 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 
1914 


College 
Library 

PS  ' 
3559 


INTRODUCTION 

IT  is  never  safe  to  take  a  serious  man  too  seriously 
— nor  a  humorist  too  lightly.  Most  of  the  "  serious  " 
dramas  of  the  hour  are  probably  of  less  consequence 
than  we  sometimes,  in  our  enthusiasm,  suppose,  and 
the  more  sprightly  plays,  even  the  farces,  are  often  of 
considerably  greater.  Glancing  back,  for  instance, 
over  the  past  decade  or  two  in  the  American  theatre, 
the  memory  of  many  an  ambitious  and  portentously 
solemn  drama  is,  at  best,  but  hazy,  while  our  recol 
lection  of  "The  College  Widow,"  racy  with  its  pic 
ture  of  life  in  a  "fresh  water"  college,  of  certain 
comedies  by  Clyde  Fitch,  with  their  brisk  etchings  of 
urban  butterflies,  of  some  first  act  by  George  Cohan, 
lifted  from  the  corner  of  Forty-second  Street  and 
Broadway,  remains  vivid  and  undimmed.  The 
humorist  (always  excepting  Mr.  Shaw!)  is  seldom 
concerned  with  propaganda,  nor  burdened  with 
a  "message."  He  has  more  time  to  give  to  his 
story  for  the  story's  sake,  and  he  is  frequently  a 
[v] 


565086 


INTRODUCTION 


closer  observer  of  individual  types  and  eccentricities, 
of  the  play  of  character  upon  character,  of  the 
humors  of  the  times,  which  are  its  manners.  The 
public  preference  for  comedy  in  the  theatre  is  not 
wholly  due  to  a  distaste  for  high  seriousness;  in  part 
at  least  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  writers  of  com 
edy  produce,  on  the  whole,  better  and  more  vivid 
plays. 

"Her  Husband's  Wife"  offers,  perhaps,  a  case  in 
point.  Though  it  was  written  solely  to  be  acted, 
with  no  thought  of  the  printed  page  in  mind,  it  has 
survived  to  be  printed  by  virtue  of  its  dramatic 
integrity.  Frankly  a  whimsical  farce,  an  "enter 
tainment"  in  the  most  popular  sense,  individualizing 
observation,  unforced  humor,  kindly  feeling,  a  sense 
for  style,  preserve  it  for  our  more  careful  attention. 
It  survives  because  it  is  a  good  play. 

A.  E.  Thomas,  the  author,  was  born  in  the  Berk 
shire  Hills  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  graduated 
from  Brown  University  with  the  class  of  1894.  The 
following  year  he  was  an  instructor  in  English  at 
Brown,  while  securing  his  Master's  degree.  He  then 
took  up  newspaper  work  in  New  York  City,  laboring 
in  that  interesting  if  not  always  remunerative  vine 
yard  for  fifteen  years  before  "Her  Husband's  Wife," 
[vi] 


INTRODUCTION 


his  first  play  to  reach  the  professional  stage,  was  pro 
duced.  To  be  a  reporter  for  fifteen  years  is  to  see 
much.  To  be  a  reporter  for  fifteen  years  and  emerge 
uncynical  and  serene,  however,  is  something  of  an 
accomplishment.  To  emerge,  furthermore,  with  a 
sense  for  style  still  keen,  and  an  undimmed  zest  for 
invention,  is  almost  worthy  of  Peter  Pan.  Mr. 
Thomas  thus  emerged  with  "Her  Husband's  Wife" 
in  his  pocket. 

The  play  was  accepted  by  Henry  Miller,  who  pro 
duced  it  at  the  Broad  Street  Theatre,  Philadelphia, 
on  February  14,  1910,  with  the  following  cast: 

John  Belden  .  .  .  Arthur  Lewis 
Richard  Belden  .  .  .  Orme  Caldara 
Stuart  Randoph  .  .  .  Robert  Warrick 
Irene  Randolph  .  .  Laura  Hope  Crews 
Emily  Ladew  .  .  .  Grace  Elliston 
Maid  .  .  ....  Nelly  Roland 

Rewritten  slightly  to  make  more  prominent  the 
part  of  Uncle  John,  and  to  introduce  a  new  character, 
the  Baroness  von  Marcken,  as  a  foil  to  John,  it  was 
brought  to  the  Garrick  Theatre,  New  York,  on 
May  9th  of  the  same  year,  with  Mr.  Miller  himself 
[vii] 


INTRODUCTION 


playing  John,  and  Mabel  Burt  the  Baroness.  It  ran 
in  New  York,  first  at  the  Garrick  and  then  at  the 
Criterion  Theatre,  until  the  July  heat  closed  the 
playhouses.  There  was  a  subsequent  autumn  season 
on  the  road.  The  piece  has  been  frequently  actecl  in 
stock,  eVer  since  that  time,  and  on  at  least  one 
occasion  by  amateurs  (the  Comedy  Club  of  New 
York)  and  promises  to  continue  to  be  so  acted. 

The  original  version  of  "Her  Husband's  Wife"  is 
the  one  printed  here. 

The  reader  will  of  course  discover  in  the  quaint 
character  of  Irene  the  source  of  the  play's  chief 
charm.  Just  what  we  mean  by  style  in  a  drama  is 
not  always  easy  to  say — certainly  less  easy  than  when 
we  are  dealing  with  the  printed  essay  or  novel.  It  is 
a  fusion  of  many  elements,  of  which  mere  language 
is  perhaps  the  least  important,  though  it  has  its 
place.  But  when  we  are  considering  a  farce,  a  play 
in  which  the  sequence  of  comic  incident,  the  merry 
tangling  of  plot,  determines  the  type,  we  may  declare 
that  style  is  or  is  not  present  according  to  the  meas 
ure  of  humanity  imparted  to  the  characters,  the 
amount  of  interest  awakened  in  the  people  who 
figure  in  the  incidents,  the  wit,  delicacy,  sprightliness 
of  their  speech;  as  well,  of  course,  as  according  to  the 
[viii] 


INTRODUCTION 


good  taste  and  psychological  value  of  these  incidents 
themselves.  Therefore,  it  is  hard  to  say  whether 
"The  Taming  of  the  Shrew"  should  be  called  a  farce, 
so  far  toward  comedy  does  its  characterization  lift  it. 
And  when  we  contemplate  this  quaint  little  hypo 
chondriac,  Irene,  with  her  unknown  ailments  and 
mystic  pills,  especially  as  she  was  depicted  by  that 
capital  comedienne,  Laura  Hope  Crews,  we  are  again 
hard  put  to  say  by  just  how  much  "Her  Husband's 
Wife"  misses  comedy.  Surely  the  interest  is  as 
great  in  the  complications  and  final  change  in  Irene's 
character  as  in  the  complications  of  the  story;  and 
that  is  due  to  the  skill  of  the  characterization,  the 
humanity  of  the  tale,  the  delicacy  and  sprightliness 
of  the  dialogue,  far  removed  from  the  tone  of  door- 
slamming  farce — in  short,  to  the  style. 

Perhaps,  as  Mr.  Walkley  has  somewhere  said,  we 
are  giving  up  our  old  distinctions  of  comedy,  tragedy, 
farce,  and  melodrama.  Nowadays,  we  simply  have 
plays.  It  is  only  natural  that  the  closer  the  stage 
comes  to  life,  the  better  our  technique  is  fitted  to 
create  the  illusion  of  reality,  the  less  likely  we  are  to 
write  stage  works  set  in  a  hard  mould.  Life  is  not  so 
set,  not  even  the  quietest  and  most  uneventful.  Still, 
the  old  distinctions  persist,  and,  like  all  tags,  they 
[ixl 


INTRODUCTION 


are  found  useful — and,  like  all  tags,  they  are  abused. 
Our  instinct  is  to  catalogue  "Her  Husband's  Wife" 
as  a  farce;  and  yet,  when  we  think  of  Irene,  we  dis 
trust  the  term.  Perhaps  a  more  non-committal 
course  is  best.  Gentle  Reader — a  good  play! 

WALTER  PRICHARD  EATON. 


HER  HUSBAND'S  WIFE 
&tt  1 


CHARACTERS 


STUART  RANDOLPH    A  good-looking  young  husband. 
RICHARD  BELDEN      His  brother-in-law. 

The  genial  uncle  of  Irene  and 
Richard 

Wife  of  Stuart. 

Her  friend. 
NORA An  elderly  maid-servant. 

PLACE:    Saratoga. 

All  three  acts  take  place  in  the  drawing-room  of 
the  Randolphs  during  the  racing  season  at  the  Spa. 


JOHN  BELDEN  . 

IRENE  RANDOLPH 
EMILY  LADEW  . 


ACT  I 

SCENE:  The  drawing-room  of  the  Randolph  home. 
A  door  at  L.  1  E.  and  another  at  L.  3  E.  At  R. 
1  E.is  a  door,  not  used,  in  which  is  set  a  large  plate- 
glass  mirror.  The  entrance  from  the  hall  is  an  arch 
way  in  the  rear,  right-hand  corner.  At  the  rear  L.  of 
C.,  are  French  windows,  standing  wide  open  and 
giving  upon  a  comfortable  veranda  leading  out  to  a 
lawn,  beyond  which  is  a  spacious  glimpse  of  culti 
vated  landscape.  A  cuckoo  clock  hangs  on  the  wall 
at  rear.  There  is  a  grand  piano  in  the  rear,  right-hand 
corner;  upon  it  stands  a  silver  frame  holding  a 
photograph  of  Stuart  Belden.  A  small  bench  backs  up 
against  the  piano.  At  L.  C.  is  a  table;  against  this, 
facing  the  audience,  is  backed  a  low,  backless  settee 
long  enough  to  seat  three  persons.  Chairs  are  at  rear 
andR.  and  L.  of  the  table.  The  curtains  are  of  chintz. 
The  floor  is  of  hardwood  covered  with  a  handsome 
Persian  rug.  As  the  time  is  summer  the  decora 
tions  should  avoid  heaviness.  An  electric  chandelier 
[3] 


HER  HUSBAND'S  WIFE 


hangs  C.  and  well  down.  An  electric  switch  at 
rear  C.  controls  the  chandelier.  Fireplace  and  mantel 
at  L.  between  the  two  doors. 

TIME:  Early  afternoon  of  a  warm,  sunny  August  day. 

AT  RISE  :  DICK  enters  through  centre  windows  at  back 
from  right,  crosses  to  table  left  upper,  mixes  highball, 
drinks.  Enter  NORA  through  arch  with  candlesticks. 

DICK.     Good  afternoon,  Nora. 

NORA.     Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Richard. 

DICK.     Where  is  every  body? 

NORA.  Oh!  Everybody  is  everywhere,  sir.  Mrs. 
Randolph  is  in  her  room.  The  household  expected 
you  back  last  night,  sir. 

DICK  [Placing  his  hat  on  piano].  Yes,  but  things 
were  doing.  Has  Mr.  Belden  arrived? 

NORA.  Oh,  yes,  sir,  yesterday.  I  believe  he  has 
gone  for  a  walk  with  Mr.  Randolph. 

DICK.  What  is  he  like,  a  sort  of  an  old  bear?  I 
haven't  seen  him  in  years  and  years. 

NORA.  No,  not  exactly.  He's  not  exactly  old, 
and  he's  anything  but  a  bear. 

DICK.     Is  every  body  well? 

NORA.     Yes,  sir — excepting 

[4] 


HER  HUSBAND'S  WIFE 


DICK.     Excepting  whom? 

NORA.  Mrs.  Randolph,  sir.  She's  not  quite  her 
self. 

DICK.     Yes;  I've  noticed  that  for  some  time.  You 
know,  Mr.  Stuart  got  an  idea  the  salt  air  didn't  agree 
with  her — that  is  why  we  came  here  this  summer  in 
stead  of  going  to  Bar  Harbor. 
NORA.    Yes,  sir,  I  know. 

DICK.  Suits  me  all  right  with  my  taste  for  the 
ponies,  but  it's  knocked  Stuart's  yachting  plans  in 
the  head.  I  must  say  he's  been  bully  about  it;  not 
many  men  would  do  as  much. 

NORA.     Ah,  well,  he  adores  her,  you  know,  sir. 

DICK.     Yes,  I  know.     Well [Gets  hat  from 

piano.]     I've  got  to  run  over  to  the  hotel  a  moment. 
If  he  comes  in  tell  him  I'll  be  right  back.     You  know 
I've  got  a  horse  in  Champlain  stakes  this  afternoon 
— looks  like  a  good  thing,  too. 
NORA.    I'll  tell  him. 

[DicK  goes  out  through  the  French  windows. 
Enter  MR.  BELDEN  and  STUART  through  the 
arch  —  STUART  very  warm,  fanning  himself 
with  his  hat;  BELDEN  quite  cool.  STUART 
sits  on  settee.] 

UNCLE  J.    Well,  Nora,  here  we  are  again. 
[5] 


HER  HUSBAND'S  WIFE 


NORA.    I  see  you  are,  sir. 

STUART.     I  say,  you  hit  up  a  terrible  pace.    '. 
haven't  walked  that  much  in  years.     Do  you  do 
much  of  that  sort  of  thing  out  on  the  coast? 

UNCLE  J.     Ask  Nora;  she  ought  to  remember. 

STUART.     Because,  if  you  do,  I'll  stay  in  the  East 

UNCLE  J.     Nonsense;  a  bit  of  a  stroll. 

STUART.     Bit  of  a  stroll !    Do  you  know  we  walke( 
six  miles? 

UNCLE  J.     Nonsense.     Now  to-morrow,  Stuart 
you  and  I  will  take  a  real  walk. 

STUART.     This  will  do  me  for  a  while. 

NORA.     By  the  way,  sir,  Mr.  Richard  is  back 
Said  he'd  return  in  a  few  moments  to  go  to  the  races 

STUART  [Turning  to  BELDEN].     Yes,  I  know;  h< 
thinks  Huckleberry's  going  to  win  for  a  change. 

UNCLE  J.     What  do  you  think? 

STUART.    Oh,  I  don't  know  much  about  horses 
I  like  to  see  them  run — makes  a  pretty  sight — bu 
give  me  yachting  for  mine.    A  wet  sheet  and 
flowing  sea,  as  the  poet  says.     Wow!    I'm  warm  in 
these  clothes.     You'll  have  to  excuse  me  till  I  put  on 
some  others. 

UNCLE  J.     My  dear  boy!    Now,  after  I've 

you  in  training  for  a  fortnight 

[6] 


HER  HUSBAND'S  WIFE 


STUART.     Not  for  me.  [He  exits  L.  3  E. 

UNCLE  J.     Well,  Nora,  where  is  my  niece? 

NORA.  I  believe  Mrs.  Randolph  is  in  her  room 
taking  her  deep-breathing  exercises. 

UNCLE  J.     I  beg  your  pardon. 

NORA.  Taking  her  deep-breathing  exercises, 
sir. 

UNCLE  J.     What  the  deuce  is  that? 

NORA.  You'll  see,  sir,  when  you've  been  here  a 
few  days. 

UNCLE  J.  Some  tommy-rot  or  other,  I  suppose. 
It's  no  wonder,  the  life  these  people  lead.  See  here, 
Nora,  you've  been  with  my  niece  ever  since  she 
was  a  youngster — tell  me — what's  the  matter  with 
her? 

NORA.    Matter,  sir? 

UNCLE  J.  Yes,  yes.  Tell  me — is  she  quite  as 
usual? 

NORA.     Quite  as  usual — how  do  you  mean,  sir? 

UNCLE  J.     As  to  her  health? 

NORA.     Well,  sir,  that's  hard  to  say. 

UNCLE  J.  You  see  her  every  day,  you  must  have 
noticed  some  change  in  her? 

NORA.     Well,  yes,  sir.     I  believe  I  have. 

UNCLE  J.     Tell  me. 

[7] 


